When the sun sets
by o2bafirefighter
Summary: Will the Simon family be able to get back together. What happens when the past come to haunt and change their present lives. This story was complete...until the computer blew up. I am going to finish it again now.
1. Chapter 1

This story has been re-written, revised and finished. For those who read it before, I am sorry for the wait and hope you enjoy it in it's completed form.

I do not own the rights or the characters. This story is written for the purpose of entertainment and not for any profit.

Warning: Angst…dark thoughts…reflections on war…a couple of bad words.

_**When the sun sets…**_

Chapter 1

He sat looking out across the ocean as the sun set. He wasn't certain how long he had been there but he decided it hadn't been nearly long enough. The pain and sorrow which had driven him from his family had only briefly left the surface to be replaced by old memories and old pain.

He closed his eyes as the breeze came in off of the ocean. He always loved it here. The beach, the ocean, and the freedom it represented to him had always given him a sense of peace. The taste of salt, a touch of mist and a coolness that sent a shiver down his spine…

_He looked across the field wondering what horrors lay on the other side. The metallic smell in the air swept around him by the hot, humid air as it slowly moved across the land. Blood dripped from his shoulder and every step felt as if a stake knife was being stabbed into his back. _

_The field was covered in warm water. Not even the water could be cool here. The heat and blazing sun were enough to drive men mad. But he refused to fall to those horrors. In this place there were so many things to drive a man mad, the heat was only a small part of it. _

_His concern at the moment was making it across the field without dieing. He thought about his family. They were expecting him to come home. He missed them and looked forward to the day he could put this all behind him and go back to them, to a world where things made sense. He wanted to be able to sleep without having to keep one eye open._

_How ironic, he thought, when he was home his family seemed to want him to be anywhere else but there. Now over a thousand miles away, rotting in a jungle and wondering if he was going to make it through another day… now they wanted him._

It had been years since that fateful day in the jungle. He wasn't sure why a cool breeze would make him think of the blazing heat of the jungle but he could remember wondering what he was doing there and why he wasn't home. He remembered wanting to be with his family and to be surrounded by their love. He dreamed of the safety home and his mom had provided for him.

As the sun sank lower in the sky his thoughts turned once more to distant past.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

His return home had been filled with hope and dashed by reality. A mother he barely knew anymore welcomed him home but kept her distance. Her disappointment in him was palpable. The cross looks and hands off approach made it clear to him that she no longer wanted him around.

His little brother was now almost as tall as himself. Innocents dripped from every action and word he spoke. His little brother thought he was a man of the world, a man of knowledge far surpassing his older brother. After all, he had a college education and read about politics, finance and the war. As far as he was concerned it was all pretty cut and dry.

It was late evening the first night home, after his brother went to sleep when she decided to tell him what she thought about him and his god forsaken war. She warned him about being a bad influence on his little brother. His little brother who had spent the past few years home, safe and loved, and yet she was afraid for him. She was afraid Rick would be a bad influence…afraid he would tell her precious baby about the realities of the real world. He had to chuckle at that one. She was so driven to protect her precious baby, she forgot he was her son too. There she stood pushing him out, proving to him she no longer cared.

He spent two tours in that godforsaken country living with a mentality where it was kill or be killed. He learned to not trust anyone because they could be the next to hurt you…to kill you…to turn you in for whatever reason. He had survived when he didn't think it possible and continued on when he didn't think he wanted to…he did had made it home.

A low soft laugh passed his lips as he thought about how he had looked forward to coming home to his mom and his brother. He hadn't considered how difficult it was going to be for him and for his family to move on. Protesters called him a baby killer, a murderer, psychotic and a drug addict. This had not been the welcome mat he had wanted or expected. He had heard about the way service men had been treated upon their return but he had hoped it was a lie. It wasn't but it was his mother's words which left the deepest rift in his heart and in his mind.

"_You know your brother looks up to you. You need to protect him from what you have done. He doesn't need to hear it. It's bad enough he has to hear it on the television. You keep your war stories to yourself. I'm glad your home but I will not have you corrupt your brother. He has a bright future ahead of him." _

_Cecelia didn't understand what her son had been through but knew what she had seen on the tv and what they reported in the paper. Her baby did not need to know that his brother was one of the men they were reporting on the news. Her son…her son killed people to stay alive and didn't seem to be affected by it in the least. He had come home and hugged her and shook his brother's hand. He hugged her with the same hands and arms that had been used to kill. How could he act like he was normal, like he hadn't done horrible things. How could he stand there and expect her to love him._

_He stood and listened to everything she said without saying a word. He didn't seem to even blink at the accusations she made or baulk at the idea of not speaking to his brother._

_She looked into his dark features and could no longer see her young impulsive son. The look of youth had been replaced. Now his deep brown eyes frightened her more than anything else. He was old…he had seen too much and now he was gone to her. He was no longer her son; he was a man she didn't know. _

_The words stung. The attitude he had heard in the streets was being directed at him again by his supposed loved ones. He didn't want to hurt his family. He didn't want to destroy his little brother. They hadn't been close. Their age difference alone had seen to that but now his mother had thrown down the gauntlet. He was no longer welcomed in his family's lives or in her home. _


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

He pulled his knees up and sat watching as the waves crashed on the beach. His thoughts spun in all directions. He didn't know what to do anymore. He thought the years since his return to the family had made a difference. But he was wrong. They hadn't changed…they had managed to hide their feelings until tonight.

His thoughts drifted back to the night of his mother's welcome home chat. After their confrontation he packed his bag and left in the middle of the night. He didn't call or write. He tried to abide by her wishes. His world had become filled with hate, fear and self-loathing. He had hoped coming home would help him to return to his old self, to heal.

Her words had cut him like a knife. He knew they wouldn't be able to help him. But reality was cruel and he knew they wouldn't be able to handle the nightmares which had plagued him since his return. She would never understand the scars he carried.

Carlos had been home for a year before Rick's return. Their friendship had been formed while Rick was still in high school. They had drank, smoked and skipped school together. With nowhere else to turn, Rick turned to him. Together again, they spent the best part of the next five years drunk, homeless and doing what they needed to do to survive.

The hard living came to a head one night for Carlos after he was hospitalized because of a fight in a bar. Carlos sobered up. He went to the VA and got the help he needed and then returned home.

It was two more years before Rick hit bottom. Sitting in jail for being drunk and disorderly, he decided he needed to make a change. By then he was living in the Everglades with Marlow, his dog. Climbing out of the haze of his life he found himself alone and lost in a world he no longer knew. He fell back on what he enjoyed, fishing. He began to charter small groups on fishing trips when he felt the need…or needed the money.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

AJ didn't know about the chat between his mother and his brother. He didn't understand why Rick had left after only being home for a day. His mother told him it was just Rick's way. She reinforced the idea of Rick being unpredictable and self-centered. With no one around to defend Rick, AJ began to believe her. He spent his time listening to his mom, going to school and wondering what had happened to his brother. Rick had always been the one he looked up to since their father died. Rick had been in the war while he was in high school and into his college years. He didn't know why he had left without a note or even a word but the anger he felt wouldn't allow him to think of what Rick had been going through, he only thought of the pain he and his mother were suffering without Rick being around.

It was on his birthday when things began to fall in place. They hadn't heard from Rick in 3 years. Each year he hoped Rick would call or write to let them know where he was or if he was even still alive. He came home from school to find his mother crying and drinking.

When he asked her what was wrong the damn burst. His mom had finally confessed to being so worried about him it caused her to attack Rick. Her fear for him and his future clouded her concern for her eldest son. She wanted to protect what family she had left and didn't want anyone or anything to destroy it. It had taken her two years before she realized it was she that had destroyed the family, not Rick.

_It was AJ's birthday. Another day she knew Rick would have been by his brother's side. Another day she had fought with the demons within because of the things she had said and done. She had driven her son away and left her youngest to think his brother was nothing but a self-centered bastard._

_As she flipped through the old photo albums she watched as her boy grew to a man, long before he should have had to do so. She watched as the gleam in his eye faded with each passing year after his father's death. For the first time she realized she had already begun to alienate him. The distance between them was not just emotional but physical. Her gaze always on AJ with Rick just out of reach._

_Rick had not had an easy time growing up with out a father figure. He had gotten into trouble in school. He had been suspended. He failed classes and skipped school. He would disappear for days or weeks without a word. When he returned he refused to say what he had been doing while he was gone. He told her not to worry he had everything under control._

_Why had she changed? She didn't understand. He reminded her so much of her beloved husband, not in looks but in his convictions, in his zest for life. As she watched the glimmer of life and joy fade, she wondered if she had done that to him. She began to wonder what she would have done if her husband had returned from Korea. Would she have welcomed him with opened arms? Would she have condemned him for the horrors of war and what it had forced him to do? How would their lives have been different if only he had returned._

_The longer she thought about it the more she realized she had been angry with him for all these years because he had died and left them behind. The day Rick shipped out the anger had surfaced and festered. When he returned after years of being away it had seemed like a lifetime. Bitterness was all she could feel. She was bitter he went away and bitter he returned when her husband hadn't. _

_Why? Why couldn't she just be happy he was home and safe? Why couldn't she be grateful he had been returned to her? _

_He was no longer her little boy. But now as she thought back he wasn't her little boy when he had left. He was an angry young man. An angry and confused man who left for war to return more angry and more confused. _

_She felt he should admit to the atrocities of war and the toll it had taken on him. She wanted him to admit that he had changed. She wanted him to take the blame for everything that had gone wrong in their relationship. She wanted her son back but only under her terms._

_Now, in a drunken stupor she realized it was really herself she was angry with, not him. She was the one that was being selfish and pushed him away. It was her fault AJ didn't have his brother for the past three years. _

_They had changed and so had he, their lives had gone on in different directions. They no longer had a common ground of experiences. She had forbidden him from sharing those experiences. As she thought more about it she wondered if he had even wanted to let them know. Pulling one of the few letters he had written to her during his tours, she began to read it and look at it with new found eyes._

Dear Mom and AJ,

I don't have a lot of time. We are headed out no patrol. I was just thinking about you both and wanted to let you know I am fine. I can't wait to get back home but I know I am needed here for now.

AJ take good care of mom. Hope school is going good. You work hard and maybe you can be like the guys telling me what to do instead of being nothing but a worker. Keep safe and stay in school.

Got to go

Rick

_AJ arrived home from classes to find his mother on the couch crying. It had been the same way the previous year. Mom cried and no one heard from Rick. He assumed they would hear something if it was something bad. He wanted to find him…he needed to find his brother. _

_It was then he decided to become a private investigator instead of a lawyer. AJ decided he wanted to find his brother and try to bring him home. _


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Detective Down Town Brown had known Rick and AJ for years and by default he had known Cecile. He too was a vet and had tried through the years to talk to Rick about the troubles they seemed to share. Rick wasn't a talker. He didn't think anything good would come from it.

Looking out at the beach he could just barely see the figure of the man he had been searching for all day. There he sat with his head resting on his knee. The cowboy hat and bomber jacket were familiar. What wasn't familiar was the stillness of his perpetually in motion friend. As he approached his fears seemed to come to life. The moon light was just bright enough to see the glint off of Rick's un-holstered gun.

Town stopped for a minute and just watched. Rick never reached for the gun laying in the sand in front of him. He never seemed to notice what was going on around him. Town knew this was what made his friend dangerous at this moment.

Town took out his cell phone and placed the call that he had hoped he would be able to make.

"Hello?"

"Cecile, I've found him."

Before he could say any more he could hear her cry of joy. "Is he alright? Where are you? Is he coming home? I need to talk to him. Please!"

"Not yet. Let me talk to him first."

The crying increased and then the phone was switched to AJ. "Town what's going on? Did you find him or what? Where are you, I'll be there as fast as I can?"

"Not this time AJ. You need to trust me. This is not the time for you to be around him. I'll call later and let you know what's happening." Without awaiting a response Town hung up the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Town stood watching his friend for another 10 minutes before he approached. Circling around so he was approaching Rick from the front, he made certain Rick knew he was there.

"Town." One word. That's all the more Rick could muster up at the moment. He had sensed someone had been watching him for a while but didn't care enough to look.

"Been looking for you." When he received no response, Town continued, "You mind if I sit with you."

Rick didn't say anything but gestured to the sand next to him for Town to sit. Silence prevailed. It was 15 or 20 minutes before Rick said anything. Town was beginning to wonder if he ever was going to speak.

"Why are you here Town?" Rick seemed honestly confused.

"AJ and your mom were worried. AJ called me this morning and told me you were gone. He asked if I would help look for you. So here I am looking for you my friend. I was worried."

"No need to worry. I think it's time for me to move it along. I've stayed too long. I never should have come back here." Rick didn't see the look on Town's face nor did Town see his. There was no bitterness in his voice. No anger. No sarcasm. Only the sound of defeat. This was not something Town was used to hearing from his friend.

"Rick what happened? I don't understand. I asked AJ and he wouldn't tell me. He just said it was a misunderstanding and he needed to correct it ASAP. Talk to me…let me help you. I don't want to see you go my friend."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

"AJ, honey, please come sit down." AJ had been pacing the floor since Town had called. He wanted to be there for his brother. He was furious with Town for not telling him where he had found Rick. He was worried about his brother.

"I'm fine mom. I just…I wish there was something I could do. I want to help him. I…God, what have I done." His frustration was compounding with each passing moment.

Cecile sat on the couch. She knew this was more her fault than it was AJ's. It was because of her and her actions all those years ago that had once again caused her son to be hurt. She didn't even know how to fix the current problem.

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When nothing more was said from Rick, Town began to wonder if he was going to talk at all. "Rick…what happened?"

"You know I've been sitting here and all I can think about is Nam." He shook his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. A beautiful beach at sun set and all he could think about was the pain and misery of the jungle.

"You ok?" To anyone else it would seem like a simple question. But here…now…it was anything but simple. Thinking about Nam with a loaded gun within reach was never a good combination. Town had lost too many friends because of this rotten combo.

"No, not really." The alarms were sounding loud and clear to Town. Rick never admitted to not being ok unless he was dieing. "You were there. You know how it was and what it was like. When I was there I wanted to be here, when I got here I wanted to go back. I almost re-upped. I almost bit a bullet the first night I came home."

Town tried hard to not gasp. Rick was a good friend and he had never known how close he had come to losing him. He didn't know what to say for the moment so he said nothing. He feared Rick would shut down and that would be the end of the story.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Over an hour had passed with no word from Town. AJ could barely contain himself. He continued to pace while Cecile sat and watched.

"AJ. We need to talk about what has happened.'

"No…no we don't. We need Rick back." AJ grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back."

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"Town, I need a favor." Rick looked at his friend and prayed he would help.

"What do you need Rick? I'll do what I can."

"I need to disappear for awhile. I'm not going back there. Not right now. Tell them…I don't care what you tell them. I just need some time." Town had watched as Rick, normally a confident and strong man, dissolved into an uncharacteristically confused man. Whatever Rick needed to find his own resolve, Town was willing to help.

"Why don't you come back to my place? You can get a good night sleep and we'll talk more in the morning before you go." And I can keep an eye on you for a little longer. I just want to make sure you are alright my friend.

"Not going to change my mind. Don't bother to try to talk me out of it. If you do I won't be in touch with you at all." There was no doubting the seriousness of Rick's comments. But looking at Town he realized he hadn't needed to say it.

"So, you'll keep in touch with me?" Town didn't want to sound hopeful but there was no way not to do so.

"With you…yes. You can pass on what you want but I won't be calling them." Rick sounded defeated.

"Rick, as your friend, tell me what happened. I won't say anything but I'm worried about you." He glanced at the gun and then looked back up into Rick's eyes.

"I'll take you up on your couch. But I'm not in the mood to talk." Suddenly noticing what Town was looking at he added, "I'm not going to do anything stupid. That was a long time ago. I have no desire to go there now. It was poking me in the ribs when I sat down." Rick laughed lightly.

Town was happy to hear such a simple answer but he was still afraid. He knew if he pushed, Rick would turn tail and run. If he did, it could take years to find him again. "Would you leave your gun with me?"

Rick smirked. "You do know there are lots of ways I could kill myself if I wanted to, but if it makes you feel better yes. I'll leave this gun with you. I need a car. It would be too easy for AJ to find my truck or if I rented a car. Any suggestions?"

"I'll call Uptown. Maybe he has something for you." Town relaxed a little. He would know what Rick was driving and he had his gun. This was comforting.

Town was not happy with the situation but he felt some comfort in knowing that tonight he would know where is friend was and that he was safe. He wished he knew what had happened to drive Rick from his home. He wished he could do something to help.

Rick didn't say anything else at the beach but agreed to follow Town home. When they arrived he settled into the guest room and closed the door. There would be no conversation tonight. He wasn't in the mood. He didn't want to think about what had happened. He was grateful that he was no longer having flashback to his time in Nam or of his return home. He just hoped he would be able to sleep peacefully.

20 minutes after they entered his home Town went to check on Rick. He knocked lightly but got no response. He opened the door slowly and felt reassured when he saw the sleeping form of his friend. He closed the door easily without causing a lot of noise.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

AJ returned home to find there was still no word from Town. He wanted to find his brother and clear this whole mess up but he wasn't sure how to do it this time. 'God,' he thought. 'Through the years we have had so many fights but he's never run away like this. What in the hell is going on?'

_The case had been dragging on and on. I was fed up with the client. I didn't like the guy. The more we talked, the more I thought something was off with him. My feelings started to skew my opinion of the case. What was supposed to be a simple case eventually turned into a time bomb set to destroy my family._

_Ted Andrews had come to the office looking for help in finding his son. Dale was about the same age as Rick. He served in Viet Nam and returned home to his family. He became a salesman at a car dealership. Ted said Dale was happy, settled and was recently engaged. _

_Three weeks ago, he failed to show up to work. Ted went to his apartment and found it had been ransacked. Maryanne, the fiancée, was crying. She said they had a fight and Dale had destroyed the house before he ran off._

_It wasn't the story I had a hard time dealing with, it was Ted. Ted waited three weeks before starting to look for his son. He seemed disinterested in what happened. As Rick and I dug deeper we found out Dale wasn't as perfect as "daddy" had made him out._

_Upon returning from Nam, Dale Andrews had multiple run ins with the law. He had been arrested for everything from disturbing the peace and driving under the influence to selling drugs and breaking and entering. Apparently, Ted didn't think we would look into Dale's background. _

_Two days ago everything blew up. Dale had already been found. He had laid in the county morgue for over two weeks. He had been found in a dumpster behind a rather seedy bar. He had been beaten to death. His autopsy report showed he had been high as a kite at the time of his death. _

_When we informed Ted, he finally admitted Dale had a lot of problems after returning. His son had nightmares and tried to run from them by using drugs and alcohol. He couldn't hold a job and he wouldn't ask for help. According to Ted, Dale wouldn't admit he needed any help._

'God, it's so frustrating. I just don't get how anyone could not admit to needing help when they needed it. Of course if I had Ted for a dad…' AJ couldn't understand how a family could turn their back on each other.

_As my agitation at the situation increased, Rick became more quiet. I couldn't understand. He's usually the one to run off half-cocked. I mean come on, how many times has mom told me about Rick running off because he didn't get what he wanted or because he didn't like the way things were going. God, he's always acted as if something was owed to him. Well, Rick old boy what about me. Life hasn't exactly been a bed of roses for me. My girl dumped me essentially at the alter…did I go running off. NO! I had things to do. I had to take care of mom but you never considered that at all._

"_All I'm saying is how did he let his world spin so far out of whack that this is where he ended up. I mean come on. So he spent time in the war, it's not as if everyone that did that has come back nuts. I just don't get it." I looked to Rick and he didn't say anything. He just sat there like a lump on a log. He wouldn't engage in the conversation._

"_Well, are you going to say anything? Or are you just going to sit there and do nothing." Even that didn't get him to say anything. Rick continued to sit there writing something, who knows what, but still he didn't respond. Come on, it's not like he helps with the paperwork or anything. He does the legwork and I do everything else. He's never shown any initiative or inkling to do the managerial aspects of the business. _

"_What is your problem Rick? Don't you think this whole deal is ridicules? His dad may not have been the most supportive SOB but still it was Dale's decision to do drugs and drink himself into oblivion. He was weak." _

_Well that sure got a response but not the one I thought it would get. Rick still didn't say anything. He just looked at me like I had two heads and then left. _

I still don't get it. What was the deal? Did Rick identify with this guy? Was this some sort of stick up for your war buddy crap?

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Rick sat up on the bed. He was sweating and confused. He wasn't sure where he was for a moment. Then it all came back to him again.

He heard the door start to creak open as Town poked his head in. Concern was written all over his face. "Rick, you okay?"

"Not really Town. I… You were there. You know what it was like and what it was like to come home. I served my country and felt like they turned their back on me. I came home and realized I didn't have a home anymore." He took a deep breath and let it out. He rubbed a hand over his face as he looked to his friend for a little understanding.

"Rick, talk to me. What happened? Its been a long time since you came home. I don't understand what is happening to you." The more Rick talked of his return and the war the more concerned Town became.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Rick had to steady his breathing. He couldn't concentrate due to the overwhelming nightmare he had just had moments ago. Town sat next to him not knowing what to say or do. He put an arm around his friend and for once, it seemed like Rick actually wanted the comfort he was offering.

"God, Town, I am so messed up. Even my dreams are all screwed up. I know the difference between dreams and reality but… it was so real." Slowly he was able to get his breathing under control.

Town thought for a moment. It hadn't appeared that Rick was going to say anything further. "Rick, please talk to me. You are really worrying me here."

Rick looked at his friend who showed obvious signs of stress. He hadn't wanted to stress his friend out; he just didn't know what to do. He decided to tell Town all the details of what lead up to this point. "You know I said before I never expected a tickertape parade or anything when I came home. I didn't want a party. I just wanted to get back to the world and begin to live again. I wanted to forget what had happened and pray that I could find a way to live with myself."

He paused, thinking about how he should tell Town about his first night home. In the end, he decided the best way was to not sugarcoat it but just tell it the way it happened on that god-awful night. "I had dreamed of coming home to my family and of them being happy to see me. I never dreamed my own mother would blatantly withdraw from me and banish me from the family. That first night after AJ had gone to bed…"

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AJ looked to his mother hoping she would be able to explain what had happened. At 1 am, he finally broke and explained what occurred in the office. When he was finished, he expected his mother to tell him it was all Rick's fault and that they would have to find a way to move on. What he didn't expect was Cecile telling him about Rick's real first night home.

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When Rick had finished he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Town on the other hand felt a weight drop on his chest. Cecile, the kind elderly woman that appeared to be willing to help her sons with anything and everything, was a mean spirited bitter old woman. Her misguided, misdirected anger and bitterness had driven her son to the brink of suicide and away from his home.

She had buried a wedge into the relationship between her sons. She had brainwashed AJ into believing his brother was a self-centered jackass that would do nothing but rest on his laurels if he could get away with it.

What AJ and Cecile failed to see was the chasm that had begun to be built had started long before Rick had gone off to war. It was there and everyone ignored it. When he returned and failed to look miserable enough, Cecile had taken it upon herself to punish him for the horrors of the war regardless of his participation.

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Town had often wondered why AJ seemed to act so superior to Rick. He knew Rick to be a hardworking, kind hearted, intelligent man. Rick was the man he sought out for help if he needed anything. Rick was the one he would go to for advice. Rick had lived, learned, suffered and continued to love life every day.

Town looked back at his relationship with the brothers. Even after all these years he still looked upon AJ as the little brother, innocent and in need of protection.

Rick had always protected AJ from the harsh realities of the world. Now, knowing what his mother had done to him he understood Rick a little better. Rick at some point had convinced himself that Cecile was right, he didn't deserve to be happy and he was to protect his little brother at all cost. At all cost…including his own life.

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AJ now had a better understanding of what had happened to his family. However, he was still lost as to how and what to think about his brother. His preconceived ideas as formulated by listening to his mother had so colored his mind that now he wasn't sure what to think. Cecile had been very up front about everything that she had said that first night.

Unfortunately, for Cecile, she did not realize the full extent of what she had done to her older son. Her relationship prior to his going off to war was tenuous at best. As she repeatedly looked at the family photo albums, she was beginning to see more of the damage that was done before he had left. Her happy go lucky boy had turned bitter and sad. His signing up to go to war was his means of escaping from his mother's wrath. It was only now that she was realizing what she had done.

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Rick finally had fallen back to sleep. Town was glad to see his friend get a few minutes of peace. He was only beginning to see the surface of what Rick had been hiding for years. If only he had known, maybe he would have…would have what? That was the question. Would he have been kinder, more understanding, more willing to listen and learn? Would he have only looked at Rick's faults and not at his accomplishments?

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_God it is all so messed up. If I had known the truth what would be different? Would I have been a better brother? Maybe I could have helped Rick to be a happier person, more grounded more… My God, even in my thoughts, I still think of him as someone that can't take care of himself or be relied upon. But, I know better, probably better than anyone does. However, if that were true I would be the one Rick went to when this all started. I would have been the one he talked to, not Town._

The more he thought about Rick talking to Town and Town denying him access to his brother the more enraged he became. Whom did Town think he was to keep him from his brother? These thoughts grew as he continued pacing in his mother's yard. He knew he needed to talk to his brother but he needed to confront his mother first.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Rick awoke late the next afternoon. Once he finally fell asleep, he slept hard and long. Too many nights of no sleep, or alcohol induced sleep, had lead to his exhaustion. He knew he needed to talk to Town. First a shower and some clean clothes.

He knew where everything was kept. After cleaning himself up, he walked to the living room to find Town staring out into the back yard. Town looked tired and Rick knew he was the cause of this. Deep down he knew he should never have spoken up against his mother, his brother or admitted to his own feelings. He hung his head as he walked into the room and sat down. He dreaded the conversation he was about to have but knew this can of worms couldn't be put away just yet.

Town could tell the moment Rick had entered the room. He didn't look up immediately because he felt he needed to get his emotions under control first. He hadn't been able to fall back to sleep after their talk. He wanted to scream…scream at Cecile for throwing away a son that only wanted her love. Scream at AJ for being such a piss poor brother and investigator. Moreover, scream at himself for not having pushed sooner to find out what was on his friends mind.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Like a rock. I'm…I'm sorry about…well you know." Rick couldn't look Town in the eye knowing he had caused his friend to lose sleep and apparently keep him from going to work.

"Buddy, I'm glad I was there for you. You have nothing to be sorry for, not for last night at least. I wish you would have felt you could have confided in me sooner but I think I kind of understand."

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AJ finally fell asleep on the porch. He couldn't bring himself to speak to his mother. He knew he needed to take a deep breath and wait until morning. Maybe just maybe he would cool off by then.

When the sun rose, AJ felt the warmth on his face and woke to find he hadn't cooled off all that much. His bitterness had only seemed to increase towards Cecile. He walked into the kitchen and made some coffee. He was trying to delay the inevitable.

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Cecile didn't know what she was going to say to her son. She wasn't sure what she even thought any more. How could she have turned her back on her own son? She continued to look at the photos. What had changed her? What made her first turn away?

She traced back through the years until she saw the obvious change in how Rick appeared in the pictures. No longer did he smile a true smile. No longer, did he stand close to his mother…or was it that she turned away from him.

As she looked at the pictures, she noticed a visible change in herself. If she were pictured with Rick, she looked away, never looking him in the eye. As the years passed, the pictures showed her not only looking away but also visibly turning away. By the time he went to war should wouldn't even hug him.

Now looking back, she realized she used the war as an excuse. She was purposely driving her son away. But why?

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"Rick, can we talk a little more? Uptown can't get here with the car until this evening. He wanted to make sure he gave you a good car and not a lemon." Town prayed his friend would open up more to him. He needed to help his friend after having let him down for so long.

"Town, I'm sorry for laying all of that on you. You didn't need that at all. Thanks for giving me a place to stay and for helping me get a car. I just need some time."

"Rick, I think I told you this last night but maybe I need to say it again. You Have Nothing To Apologize For. I want to help you. I want to be the friend that I should have been all along. My wife is gone and I have the whole house to myself for the next two weeks. Would you please consider staying here with me? I will not tell AJ and maybe you and I can work through some of this or if you just want some peace and quiet, I can do that as well. But, I would feel better knowing your okay. I won't push; I just need to help you. Will you let me?" Town didn't know if his plea would work but he had to try. He was convinced that if Rick left he would never see him again.

Rick thought about Towns offer. He didn't want to put Town in the middle of what he thought was a family problem. Town and AJ were friends; Rick didn't want to see their friendship ruined because of him. Nevertheless, before he could say anything else Town seemed to be reading his mind. "Rick you are my friend. AJ is your little brother and my friend. But you are my friend and you need to remember that I can understand where you are coming from on a lot of this. Please Rick, let me help. I'm worried about you and I don't want to lose you."

Rick shook his head looking at the floor. He couldn't think of anything else to argue against this, Town had seemed to cover all bases. "If you're sure?"

"Absolutely!"

"Okay…I'll stay for now. But give me a few days before you start pushing. I know you want to talk but for the moment, I need to try to get my head on straight. I have a lot of things I need to figure out."

"No problem Rick. I'm going to call AJ and tell him you're okay but that you don't want to talk to him or Cecile right now."

"Tell them…I don't…just tell them I need time. I'll contact them when I'm ready but I don't want them to try to contact me."

"No problem Rick. I'll let them know."

"Tell AJ…Tell…Them… him I'm sorry…I just can't deal with them right now. God Town I don't…" Rick was beside himself. His family had turned their backs on him and he had moved on or so he thought. However, AJ's latest insensitivity and lack of understanding had pushed Rick over the edge. He knew that if he didn't leave he would either say or do something that would hurt AJ or his mom. Even with all she had done, she was still his mom and he didn't want to hurt her no matter what she had done to him.

Town couldn't believe what Rick had said. How could he feel the need to apologize when they were the ones in the wrong? Town needed to get his own feelings under control before he made that call.

RING RING RING

Obviously, AJ wasn't going to give him the time he felt he needed. This was going to be rough but it was for the best.

"Hello…"

"Town. AJ. Where's my brother? How is he?" The anxiety was obvious but Town's concern was still for his friend.

"He's safe. He's fine. But he doesn't want to talk to either of you right now. He told me to tell you he would be in touch when he's ready. He doesn't want you to try to find him or to try to contact him." Town paused. He needed to keep this simple but he wasn't sure that he could.

"I want to see him. Mom told me. I need to make this right."

Town had had enough. "You want. Your mom wants. What about what he wants? When are you going to start worrying about him and his needs, his wants? You…the both of you have had plenty of time to fix this before it got to this point. You were always throwing your education, your…whatever in his face. Well guess what, he's not the man you made him out to be. I suggest while he is working on getting his head straight, you better get your crap together and figure out who he really is because right now I don't think either of you have any idea. Rick is my friend; I will not stand by and watch you try to destroy him again." As his anger increased so did the volume of his discussion. Taking a deep breath Town decided this conversation was over before it ever got started. "Give him time. Don't try to contact him. Don't call me either. When he's ready he'll be in contact. Until then… I don't really care what you do but don't call me or come near me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah Town. I hear you. Tell Rick I didn't know. Tell him I'm sorry."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

'I'm sorry.' Town thought about AJ's feeble attempt to apologize. 'Who did he think he was to offer a simple I'm sorry after everything they had put Rick through.

Town hadn't heard Rick enter the room. He hadn't realized how loud he had gotten on the phone. Rick had heard it all. Once again, he felt bad; his friend was going through all of this because of him.

"Town?" Rick spoke hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry about that I guess I kind of lost it there for a moment. After everything you've told me I just couldn't listen to him tell me about what he wanted or needed. I'm sorry I yelled."

Rick shook his head. He was beginning to wonder if all of this was his fault for being too weak. Maybe if he was stronger, thicker skinned, then AJ's and his mom's comments wouldn't have hurt so bad. Maybe then, he would have been able to move on.

Rick thought about everything that had happened since his return. He turned to a family that hadn't wanted him and then tried to be what they wanted him to be. And it had all been for nothing. Neither AJ nor his mother had ever appreciated all the effort he had put forth. Cecile had continued to blame him for anything that had happened, any trouble AJ had gotten into, or for any injury either of them had received.

"Rick…Rick…" Town was worried. Rick seemed to have zoned out and was responding to his call. Finally, Rick blinked and seemed to be back to himself.

"Sorry, I guess I was day dreaming. I'm really sorry to bring all of this down on you. I just…I just feel like all I'm doing is talking and bringing more trouble. Maybe I should just get moving on and stop all of this crap."

"Rick, you haven't caused this. I am angry with myself for not being a better friend to you. I am angry at AJ for not being the brother to you that he should have been or Cecile the mother she should have been to you. Most of all I'm angry that I didn't see what was happening and didn't show you the support you needed. I want to be there for you now. Be there for you like others were for me. We can get through this…but it will take time."

"Town I don't want you to be angry with them. AJ was young and stupid. He didn't understand the world we lived in. He only understood what he was told and what he learned in school. As for mom…I don't know what to say. She did what she thought was best for her family. It just wasn't necessarily best for me."

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	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Town decided it was probably for the best to not comment further. Rick would never want anyone to think less of AJ or Cecile. But for him it was too late. Town thought so much more of Rick now than he had before that there was no way for him not to think less of AJ and Cecile.

Rick had pulled himself up and moved on. He had made himself into the man that he is today with little help and more often with roadblocks from his family. It made Town wonder what Rick could have been able to accomplish had he had a little encouragement.

"Rick, let's drop this for now. I took a few days off and I would really like to get away. What would you think about going fishing for a couple of days? I haven't been in a couple of years. I would really like the company and I think both of us could use a couple of days of peace and quiet. So…what do you think?"

"Sounds good. Fishing is just what I need to do. How soon can we leave?"

"Let me make a couple of calls and then we will go from there. I figure we can take off by 3 at the latest."

"OK, what do you need me to do?"

"I have all the fishing gear in the garage. Why don't you go through it and see what we might need?"

Rick smiled one of his first genuine smiles Town had seen in a long time. This would be good for them both. Rick agreed and took off to see what they would need to get before they took off for the lake.

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AJ was beside himself. He didn't know what to do, how to make this all better. What he did know was that he had screwed up by not paying attention to what was going on right in front of him. He had judged Rick by hearsay and miscommunication. His preconceived ideas based off his mother's unwarranted treatment of Rick had caused all of this.

He knew he needed to speak again with his mother but he was angry and worried. Angry for having been lied to for years. And worried because he wanted his brother back and yet again he was separated from his brother.

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Cecile sat and wondered how it had all gone so wrong. She thought back through the years. She had tried to make up for her behavior towards Rick, or so she had always told herself. But as she looked back now she realized she had never forgiven him for her own mistake. She had still been waiting for him to admit he was wrong. It was only now that she began to understand that it was she who needed to apologize.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

6 Months Later

Town had spoken with Rick regularly and had passed along messages as he saw fit. He let AJ and Cecile know that Rick was doing well but he wasn't ready to return.

AJ had made himself scarce. He knew he had been wrong, though he never really understood what he had done. He just knew that he had hurt his brother and he was the cause for making Rick leave. He had tried at first to talk to Town but quickly realized he wasn't going to get anywhere. Town had made it abundantly clear that he was in Rick's corner.

Cecile had become almost a hermit. She spent her time sitting in her home, looking at photos and dreaming of what should have been instead of what she had done to destroy her family. Unlike AJ, she knew she was wrong and what her part in it had been. Unfortunately, she didn't know how she could make up for so many lost years. She didn't know if she would ever be given the opportunity to try to make things right.

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Town wasn't sure if Rick was ever going to return. He seemed happier and more at peace than he had in years. The fishing trip had lead him in some ways full circle. He worked as a charter guide and paid his way in cash. He talked weekly with Town and told him how he was doing. He knew he wasn't ready to return but he felt he would be able to one day.

Rick found work to be relaxing. He didn't dwell on the past. He considered what his mother and brother had done but was determined to move past all of it. In the end, he realized he had done nothing wrong. He had reacted to what had happened as best he could, as well as he had been prepared to do. He wouldn't have changed anything. He accepted that it was not his problem.

Yet, somehow it didn't fully ease his mind.

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Cecile continued to punish herself. She didn't eat, didn't sleep and inevitably she got sick. And still she did not care. A cold turned into bronchitis, which progressed into pneumonia. By the time AJ had come by Cecile was no longer coherent.

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Finding his mother sprawled out on the floor had been frightening. AJ fought to maintain calm as he called for an ambulance. His fear ratcheted up as his mother repeatedly called for Rick.

He needed to find Rick and get him here quickly. The doctors weren't holding out much hope. They said Cecile had lost the willingness to fight.

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"Town." AJ sounded desperate. Town immediately knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong AJ?"

"It's…it's mom…she's dieing. We're here at the hospital. The doctors… Town… they don't think she's going to make it. She…she was on the floor. All she keeps doing is calling for Rick. Town I need your help. Please, I need to reach Rick. I have to get him here. Mom needs him. Please…" The desperation in his voice was tangible. There was no getting around the seriousness of the situation.

"I'll call him and tell him what's going on. I assume you are going to be staying at the hospital."

"Yeah, I can't leave her. I don't want her to be alone."

Town almost found that statement pathetic. Cecile couldn't be left alone in a hospital full of people ready and willing to help her. Yet neither AJ nor Cecile had a qualm of leaving Rick alone for years, with no one willing to help. They had put up roadblocks every step of the way. He had tried to find forgiveness or at least understanding for them. Nevertheless he was unable to forgive or forget what was done to Rick. "I'll call him. But I'm not going to guarantee anything. I'll come by the hospital later." He hung up before AJ could reply.

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Rick had just returned from a charter. He sat down to relax. The apartment he had settled in was small but had come fully furnished. He hadn't needed much. Time. Space. Those were the things he needed.

He had checked in with the local VA and was getting some long over due assistance. He knew he was leaving a trail for AJ but figured he needed to get help if he was ever to return to his family.

Talking with other vets, counselors and distance away from his family had helped him to get a few things straight. He realized he truly wasn't the one with the problem. It was his mother. He needed to decide if he could accept his mother for who she was and try to forgive her for what she had done so many years ago…and up to the present day.

AJ was another story. Rick realized he had made some mistakes. He hadn't talked to AJ. He hadn't told him what his life had been like and had allowed his brother to look down upon him without putting up a fight.

Never having been one to talk, this whole thing was new to him. He had worked the first couple of months on just opening up and talking. After, he was able to get what he thought of as the real work done. The doctors and counselors had been on him about his physical health as well. The lack of sleep and lack of eating was beginning to take a toll on his body. While he knew he could have stood to lose a few pounds, he was now at a point where he needed to gain weight. That would be the next step in his recovery.

The ringing of the phone stopped his thoughts of the past and brought him back to the present.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Rick's mind was racing as he drove back home. He didn't know if he was ready to forgive his family but he knew he had to be there for them. He would have to work out what he wanted later, his first priority was his family. Was this to be his first step in getting his family back? Or was it an end?

Through the years, his mom had had minor illnesses and injuries. This was the first time she had been seriously ill. For as angry as he was with her at times, he still didn't want to see his mother die. He knew he was going to have to make amends with her. He didn't want to carry the guilt of not making up with her before she passed away.

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AJ looked through the window into Cecile's ICU room. The doctors had rushed into her room when her breathing became erratic. AJ didn't know what to do; he was lost and didn't have anyone there to support him. His thought turned to his absent brother and bitterness rose from his gut.

'Who does he think he is? He has put this family through hell for years. Now, mom is lying her dieing and where is he…who knows? He's off crying for himself. How freaking selfish can he be? Mom's getting old. He shouldn't be putting her through this.'

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AJ had no idea the thoughts running through Rick's head as he continued his 6 hour drive to get to the hospital.

'Hang in there mom. I'm on my way.'

Rick hoped he would make it in time. Town didn't have much information when he had called. He was only aware that AJ was worried and said their mom was dieing.

'Haven't done this in a long time. But, if you're up there and willing to listen, mom could really use your help. Please don't let her die before I get there. Please don't let her die. I need more time. We need to work things out.'

Rick continued his trip alternating between beseeching God to spare his mother and begging forgiveness for allowing the hurt he felt to interfere with his relationship with his family. He wished he wasn't so far away from his counselor. He thought he might need to speak to him again. He was feeling overwhelmed and knew he needed a little support.

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Town arrived at the hospital to find AJ standing unsteadily in the hall. He brought a chair over to AJ to have him sit before he fell down. Seeing the commotion in the room, he wondered if Rick would be too late.

"AJ sit. What's going on?"

"She's having problems breathing. Her pneumonia is getting worse and…and they don't know…they may have to…ummm…intubate her. I don't even know if that would be something she would want. I wish Rick was here." None of the bitterness he felt came through in his voice. Although stuttering, he remained monotone, no emotion. Town looked at his friend but wasn't able to get a fix on his emotional state.

They continued to sit and wait. 30 minutes later the doctors finally came to update them.

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	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Rick realized he needed a little support in going to see his mom and his brother. He stopped at the police station looking for Town but had no luck. Green was sitting at the front desk as Rick approached.

"Do you know where Town is?"

Green looked up and noticed the change in Rick. He looked nervous, pale and something that Green couldn't put a finger on. He hadn't seen Rick in months, seeing him now gave him an uneasy feeling. "Uhh, no but I could call him if you need him?"

"Yeah, would you do that? I really need to talk with him. Thanks Green."

Green made quick work of calling Town. He didn't know what was going on but assumed it was something big. He had never seen Rick look so distraught. Town had left quickly earlier in the day without word on where he would be but had said he could be reached by phone.

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The doctors had just left when Town's phone began to ring.

"Hello"

"Detective Town, Rick Simon is here looking for you." Green paused for a minute. "Sir, he doesn't look too good." He looked to see that Rick had not seen or heard him make the phone call. "Sir, he said he needs to talk to you."

Town sighed and moved away from AJ. "Thanks Green. Put him on and do me a favor when he's finished I want you to bring him to St. Mary's Hospital. His mother is in the ICU here. I'll be waiting for the two of you in the ICU waiting room."

"Yes sir. I'll get someone to cover the phones. Hold just a moment." Green moved the phone away as he called out to Rick. After turning the phone over he went to get someone to cover his station and then returned to wait for Rick.

"Town, I…ah…I was hoping you could go with me to the hospital. I didn't know you'd be out of the office. Maybe we could get together later. I kinda need to talk to you about some stuff if that's okay."

It was hard on Town to listen to his normally confident friend as he now sounded wounded and broken. "Rick, I'm here at the hospital. Green is going to drive you over. I'll meet you in the waiting room. I'm here for you."

"Thanks Town. I…I'll see you in a few."

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AJ had gone back into his mother's room. Cecile wasn't responding well to the antibiotics. The doctors had placed her on a ventilator to help her rest and had changed her medications. They hoped this cocktail of antibiotics would work. AJ knew it would be a couple of hours before they would know if the new meds would work. Until then he had nothing to do but think.

'Where are you Rick? Mom's not getting any better. Do you even care?'


	17. Chapter 17

**_When the sun sets…_**

I own nothing. This story is written with borrowed characters and I make no money from this, this is for entertainment purposes only. I am so sorry for the way too long delay. I will finish this now. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 17

Rick followed Green to the car. He didn't think he needed Green to drive, it was only another 15 minutes to get there and he had just driven 6 hours to get here. What was another 15 minutes? But the closer he got to the hospital the more his nerves ratcheted up. How were they going to react to his returning? Was his mom still alive? Did he have time to make amends with his mother? He sat quietly in the front seat staring out the side window only his leg bouncing to an unknown rhythm as an indicator he was nervous.

Green noticed but said nothing. Green decided long ago whatever was going on was none of his business. He was here to support a friend, a colleague. He hadn't seen Rick in over 6 months and Town never spoke of what happened. All he knew for certain was the Simon brothers, who were once a fixture in the office, had been absent for months. Town had been grumpier than normal and most people had taken to avoiding him at all cost.

When they arrived at the hospital, Green parked the car in the police officers only spot nearest the entrance. Rick continued to sit, making no indication he realized they had arrived. Green remained silent as Rick did not appear to want to talk but more lost in thought than he had ever seen him. They sat for a couple of minutes before he decided to prompt Rick, to see if there was anything he could do to help.

"Rick, do you want me to walk up with you or maybe have Town come down here to meet you?"

Green wasn't sure if Rick had even heard him. Rick was still sitting there but after another minute he let out a slow deep breath before he finally replied. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the ride. I better get going."

Ricked looked as if he was walking the finally few inches of the plank, preparing himself for plunging off the end to meet his death in the deep blue sea. Green couldn't help but feel that Rick needed a friend. He picked up the phone and called Town.

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Town quickly made his way to the elevator bank as Green spoke to him. Green was a very perceptive officer and Town wasn't going to push aside his thoughts. If he felt Rick needed a little support then he would be there for him. He had figured he would be needed but Greens words had him concerned. He had but a minute to wait once he hung up before the ding of the elevator signaled it was time to see his friend whom he hadn't laid eyes upon since their fishing trip.

His first thought when the door opened was one of fright. He fell back on his training for undercover to keep his face from showing the true horror he felt at what was left of his friend. How had things gotten so bad, so quick? Families…can't live without them but sometimes it was a devil of a choice to live with them.

Rick had clearly lost a lot of weight. He looked to be a good 25 pounds under weight. His eyes were sunken in, his ribs were palpable when the hugged and his clothes hung on his too thin frame as if they had been borrowed from someone else. The haunted look in his eyes were present but the question at this point was if the haunting was caused by the present circumstances or was the past still reeling its ugly head.

"How is she?" Rick whispered his question almost afraid to hear the question much less the answer he feared would follow.

"She's critical. They've intubated her to help keep her oxygen levels up and to let her rest. They switched her antibiotics to see if a new combination is going to work. Right now that just don't know. She's apparently been sick for a while and it has progressed to this. AJ finally admitted she hadn't been taking care of herself. She's been shut up in her house for a while now. Rick, I swear I didn't know, if I would have I'd have told you. Neither of them said a word to me. I'll take you to her and let you visit. Do you want me to get her doctor for you?"

"I know you would have told me. God Town, this is so messed up. I…"

"YOU WHAT! You would have called your mother, maybe come to see her… NO, you were off on your own little having a pity party instead of manning up and being with your family. You really are a bast…" The bitterness which had been absent before was out in full force now. Town hadn't seen AJ approaching nor the look in his eyes as he had laid eyes on his brother for the first time in months.

Rick had had enough, he cut AJ off before he could finish his insults. "Not now AJ. I am going to go see mom. I'll deal with you later." Rick wasn't going to listen to any more of AJ's nonsense. He was done with it. He wasn't going back to taking AJ's or his mother's crap. Months of counseling had helped him to realize that standing up for himself even to his family wasn't wrong and it wasn't weak. They needed to see him for the adult he had become and not as an object for them to take out their anger and frustration on.


	18. Chapter 18

**_When the sun sets…_**

I own nothing. This story is written with borrowed characters and I make no money from this, this is for entertainment purposes only I will finish this now. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 18

The smell of antiseptic permeated the air. Even with his eyes closed there was no doubt in his mind where he was, all hospitals had that smell. He had been visiting the VA for months now but he still hadn't gotten used to the smell. He was reminded of the days, weeks really, he had spent in the hospital after he had been injured in a fire fight. Back then the squeak of the sneakers were enough to wake everyone up in the ward. Charlie would often sneak into the wards and… Not going there, Rick thought to himself. This isn't Nam. I don't need to keep my guard up at every moment.

The swoosh of the breathing machine. The beeping of the cardiac monitor. These were the sounds that filled the room and let Rick know he was at his mother's bed side. He looked at the frail body of the older woman lying in the bed. She was a far cry from the feisty mother he had left behind.

He reached out to grab her hand, ever careful of the IV and pulse ox attached to the left hand he had grabbed onto the right hand. Cecile didn't seem to acknowledge he was there. He shook his head at the dark thoughts that had entered his mind…like she had noticed him before she had gotten sick. He shook his head again at the fact that he couldn;'t even shake the thoughts out of his head. He was determined he would not allow his brother or his past to interfere with his visit with his mom.

"I'm here Cecile. I made it back. We have a lot to talk about but I need you to get better first." His voice was low and gravely. The emotions poured off of him and were felt by the patient in the bed. Cecile weakly squeezed his fingers before going limp once again.

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AJ continued to rant and rave about his brother's return. Town had had enough. He couldn't allow this petulant child to drive his friend away again.

"Just shut the hell up. You have no idea what in the hell you are talking about. The two of you dove him away. The two of you have held him down, held him back and treated him like crap for years…years! You are lucky he was strong enough to not eat his gun, to continue to stand by while you berated him and while she ignored him. This isn't something that happened one day. This was an on assault on his character, his person long before he went off to Nam. I've heard you talk about vets like you know what you are talking about…I'm going to tell you this only once. YOU HAVE NO IDEA what we went through over there. You have NO IDEA what we came home to, the disrespect of the media was nothing compared to the treatment your mother gave your brother. She drove him away. She refused to allow him to be a part of your family, of your life. And when he finally came back what did you do… continued to treat him like some low life trash. How dare you act like you have a clue what we did, what we went through, what we continue to go through every day because people like you won't allow us to heal, to forget. That man fought to come back here to a brother and mother he loved. He dreamed of a home coming where he would be welcomed home and where his family would be happy to see him alive, healthy but you couldn't do that could you? Let me guess you talked to him about those great protest rallies you are so proud of or was it the sit-ins where you used peace to stand up to the man? What were you fighting for, better lunches in school or your rights to be idiots? You thumbed your nose and compared your rallies and sit-ins to us sitting in a jungle not knowing when or if Charlie was going to end us. We walked through rice paddies and into villages not knowing where the enemy was going to pop up next. You never had to wonder if the kid walking up to you asking for a candy bar was really a walking time bomb. No but you know all about it from books don't you?"

AJ stood there stunned. He realized the anxiety of the day had gotten to him and he had allowed his old behavior to color his behavior towards his brother. Town was right on target. He hadn't ever given credence to what Rick and Town had done in the war. He listened to the stories on the news and allowed that and his mother to influence the way he thought. Now, he was a 30 plus year old man who hadn't learned to grow up and form his own opinions, to use his own experiences and observations to become the basis for his way of thinking.

"AJ you're Rick's little brother and I have considered you my friend as well but I'm telling you now I will stand behind Rick 100% and if you try to stand in his way of see Cecile I will have you thrown out of here. You called me to get him here, if I had known you were going to treat him like this I would have made certain you weren't here when he arrived. But you are and I will not allow you to harm him again. Do I Make Myself Clear?!"

'Yeah Town I get it." He wasn't prepared to admit he was wrong but he knew in his heart he had done it once again, he had hurt his brother. "I'm going for a walk, maybe down to the chapel. I'll keep out of the way. I'll be back in about an hour."


	19. Chapter 19

**_When the sun sets…_**

I own nothing. This story is written with borrowed characters and I make no money from this, this is for entertainment purposes only I will finish this now. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 19

The monotonous sound of the beeping and swooshing of the machines were almost hypnotic. Rick had been sitting there holding his mother's hand since he had entered the room. As he looked out the nearby window he realized time had continued to pass and it was now nearing dark. He wasn't sure what time it was but estimated it had to be close to 6 o'clock. He hadn't eaten since he had received the call. As he continued to sit and think about all that had happened in the past 6 months he couldn't help but be happy that he had taken the time for himself to seek out help. He only wished he had started to work on his physical health as well.

The headache which had started after seeing AJ had now progressed. The feeling of nausea had increased over the past hour. He knew he needed to get something to eat but was afraid that anything he ate would see a rapid return. This isn't how he had wanted to return home. The goal he had set for himself was to get his head clear and then work on his physical health. The call from Town was both unexpected and demanding of immediate attention. He was now regretting his lack of concern for his general well-being.

"Cecile, I need to step out for a minute. I'll see if the nurse can adjust the temperature in here. It's incredibly hot for a hospital." He squeezed her hand but didn't feel the squeeze which Cecile returned.

Rick stood up but was suddenly overcome by dizziness. He grabbed at the bed rail to steady himself but missed it. He was falling and there was nothing he could do about it.

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Town had been standing outside watching his friend. His concern for Rick had only increased as time passed. Rick seemed glued to one spot but was rocking slightly in place. It wasn't so much rocking as wavering. He decided it was time to take a little action to help his friend. He went to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Rick needed the energy to maintain his vigil.

When he returned he didn't bother to look inside. It was with a sense of dread when he attempted to open the door and felt resistance. He stepped back and looked in the window and felt his heart drop. Dropping the food and coffee on the floor, Town called out for help as he tried to force his way into the room. He didn't want to push too hard as he had seen the resistance was really Rick's head and shoulders.

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AJ had spent more time away than he had expected. He needed to clear his head and attempt to figure out what it was he wanted and expected of his brother. He had spent the last hour sitting in the chapel praying for a sign. He wanted his family to be whole again. He wanted his mother to get better and for his brother to come back home.

When the lights began to raise in the chapel as the sun began to set he made his decision. He needed to return to his mother's side and work out his differences with Rick later. Right now this needed to be about his mom.

With a new sense of resolve he made his way back to his mother's room. As he approached he noticed the commotion. People were rushing in and out of his mother's room. He hadn't seen Rick or Town to ask what was going on. All of the hope he had only moments before were dashed. He wasn't even there to say good bye.

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Moments before…

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Town made his way into the room and pulled Rick away from the door. He quickly checked for a pulse and though it was present he noticed something else was wrong. Rick was pale, cool and clammy. His body war racked with slight tremors and he wasn't responding. Blood pooled on the floor from where his head had struck the ground.

Light flooded the room as a swarm of people entered. Nurses and orderlies were busy assessing the patient, Rick. Vital signs were taken and he was attached to a heart monitor. The on-call hospital doctor had been paged as soon as Town had yelled for help. As he entered the room the nurses bean reporting their findings.

"Male, late 30's was visiting his mother when we were alerted by the officer that there was a problem. When we entered we found him lying on the floor in a growing pool of blood from where his head struck. Vital signs are 102/56, respirations 20 and shallow, pulse 124, pulse ox 96% We've controlled the bleeding and found no other injuries."

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AJ burst into the room and almost ran over the doctor as he was giving instructions. "What happened?" He looked around the room bewildered. His mother was still intubated but appeared to have her eyes opened. There were several people on the floor and as he looked down he realized it was Rick they were hovering over.

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When the door burst open Town reflexively reached for his gun. It took only a second for him to realize there wasn't an imminent threat.


	20. Chapter 20

**_When the sun sets…_**

I own nothing. This story is written with borrowed characters and I make no money from this, this is for entertainment purposes only I will finish this now. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 20

Quickly the doctor and nurses got back to work. Town ushered AJ out of the way. "I don't know what happened. I went to get him a cup of coffee and a sandwich. When I came back he was on the floor."

"Town, mom's awake." AJ's focus was on his mother. He wanted to get to her to see how she was doing. But he couldn't because there were people everywhere. He looked across the room and saw his mother's nurse. "Tammy, mom's awake."

Tammy turned and saw for herself that Cecile Simon was indeed awake. She glanced to the doctor who nodded for her to check Cecile. Tammy made her way over to the bed. "Cecile, I'm Tammy and I'm your nurse this evening. I'm just going to check your vitals. You have been very sick with pneumonia and we had to put the tube down your throat to help you breath. Give me a couple of minutes to check things out. We have another situation at the moment which we need to take care of, I'm going to pull the curtain to give you a little more privacy." Tammy wasn't sure what was wrong with Rick but she knew Cecile couldn't afford to get upset at this point. She didn't know if Cecile knew Rick had been in the room but she needed to protect her.

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Cecile wasn't sure what was happening. She thought Rick had been there but when her eyes finally focused enough to see what was happening she hadn't seen him. She knew something was wrong being there were nurses, orderlies and a doctor gathering in her room. But they didn't seem to be there for her.

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AJ didn't know what to do. His mom was awake but his brother was lying on the ground and no one seemed to know what was happening with him. He looked lost and confused. He wanted to be by his mother's side but couldn't get there. All of his prayers where his mom was concerned seemed to be coming true.

But was the cost going to be his brother's life?

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Once the curtain was pulled the activity around Rick increased.

"Get a gurney in here. I want to get him out of here and into an exam room. Be careful with his head. Get me a CBC, Chem panel, ABG and x-rays. Get him on a monitor, let's make sure we don't have a cardiac issue. Put him on O2 and get an IV started. Someone call down to the ER and let them know we are on the way."

Nurses and orderlies scrambled to get accomplish all of the Doctor's orders. He then turned to the doorway.

"Officer, can you explain to me what is going on here?" The doctor had been suspicious since there was an officer present. Rick didn't look great and he was beginning to wonder if there were some legal issues he needed to be concerned with as far as the security of his people.

"Detective Brown, I was here with my friend Rick Simon who was visiting his mother. Cecile has been here being treated for pneumonia. Rick drove into town today to see his mom. I doubted he had taken the time to eat so I left to get him a sandwich and coffee. When I came back I had a difficult time opening the door. I looked through the window and saw him lying on the ground. I called for help and then got out of the way us you all could get in to help him."

"Do you know any of his medical history?"

"Doctor, I'm AJ Simon. Rick is my older brother. He doesn't have any real medical history that I can think of that would cause this." AJ was slightly beside himself.

Town looked at AJ in disgust. "Doctor, I hold Rick's power of attorney. If we could go somewhere private, I will help you as best I can."

The shocked look on AJ's face was enough for the Doctor to know he needed to move this conversation to another location. He wasn't sure what was happening but he could tell by the tension in the air there was more going on here than just Rick being ill. "Yes, by the way my name is Dr. Anderson. Please follow me. I need to be down in the ER to hurry things along. We can talk on the way or once we get to his room."

"AJ why don't you stay with your mom. I'll take care of Rick." He didn't wait for a response, instead he turned and walked away.

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AJ entered his mother's room feeling relieved and bewildered. When did Rick make Town his power of attorney? When did Town become the authority on Rick? Who decided Town should be able to be in control of Rick's medical care? He was Rick's brother not Town.

He was pacing back and forth. He hadn't noticed his mother's eyes as they opened once again. After a few moments he turned to see her looking back at him. He quickly made his way to the bed and grabbed her hand, squeezing it slightly. "Mom."

Cecile tried to smile around the tube. She didn't know what was going on but she was glad to see her son looking less stressed with her little gesture of a smile. She still felt horrible but much better than she had when she was home.

"They will be in again to look at you. I know you can't talk but you are doing much better. We will just have to wait to see what happens next. I love you mom."

Cecile smiled and then fell back into a healing sleep.

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Dr. Anderson walked into the ER room with a new found appreciation for his latest patient. He wasn't a criminal or a questionable person. He was a vet who had been seeking treatment and avoiding the stress caused by his home life. It was very easy to see how a family crisis had brought him back home prematurely. Maybe with a little more time he would have had the skills to deal with them. For the moment, he needed to concern himself with his physical health.

The toll stress had taken on the body of Rick Simon was visible for all to see. He contacted Rick's therapist from the VA where he had sought treatment. He needed to see what prescriptions Rick was taking and hoping this wasn't a case of a purposeful or accidental overdose.

Dr. Blaze was the attending physician dealing with Rick's therapy. When he heard Rick was hospitalized, he wished he could say he was surprised but he wasn't. He knew it was inevitable. Rick had placed his mental health and the relationship issues with his family above his own physical health. He had lost a considerable amount of weight due to the stress of dealing with the family and trying to heal.

"Dr. Anderson, Rick wasn't taking any prescriptions. He is pretty much opposed to medications of any sort. He does drink but does not have a drinking problem. As part of the program he was required to submit to random drug testing, in the 5 months he has been here he has never once shown a positive result for anything. I want to clarify that, I am not talking about a positive result meaning results within a certain perimeter but in complete non-existence. He wants his recovery to be natural. He wants to take control of his life and not allow what his family has done to destroy him. Off the record…Rick is an incredible man. He has shown a great deal of depth in understanding and more work ethic towards his treatment than anyone I've seen in 20 years of practice."

"I think it's all just come crashing down on him. From my understanding he drove in and has been sitting at his mother's bed side since his arrival. I have the feeling this is his health catching up with him and trying to get a little attention. Thanks for the information, I've got to go."

Dr. Anderson walked back to the ER room and began looking at the results. Rick had managed to give himself a minor concussion when he struck his head on the floor but had no other significant injuries. His biggest issue was going to be the weight loss and the low blood sugar. He didn't figure he would be able to get Rick to stay for observation but was counting on Detective Brown to help with keeping an eye on him."


	21. Chapter 21

**_When the sun sets…_**

I own nothing. This story is written with borrowed characters and I make no money from this, this is for entertainment purposes only I will finish this now. I hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER 21

_Dr. Anderson walked back to the ER room and began looking at the results. Rick had managed to give himself a minor concussion when he struck his head on the floor but had no other significant injuries. His biggest issue was going to be the weight loss and the low blood sugar. He didn't figure he would be able to get Rick to stay for observation but was counting on Detective Brown to help with keeping an eye on him."_

Rick was awake and looking around the room when Dr. Anderson returned. He couldn't remember what happened but knew he had one hell of a headache. He was trying to make sense of what was happening when Dr. Anderson walked in the room.

"Hello Rick, I'm Dr. Anderson. I have a few questions for you and then I will tell you what we've found." Rick nodded in acquiescence.

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Town stood in the hall waiting to see what was going to happen with his friend. He had only been there for a few minutes when Dr. Anderson returned to get him. "Rick has asked for you to join us."

Town was hesitant, he didn't want to intrude however he wanted to know what was happening. His desire to make certain his friend was on his way to recovery outweighed his hesitation.

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Cecile had been extubated and was anxiously waiting for AJ to explain what was happening. She knew she had been sick but had not realized how sick she had been. She felt her heart was still broken and knew she had no one to blame but herself.

AJ stood by his mother's side and answered all of her questions about her illness and hospitalization. He dreaded telling her about Rick and had made the decision to avoid tell her anything until she was feeling better. Besides, he thought, what good would it do considering he didn't know what was happing with Rick.

It had only taken a few minutes for Cecile to run out of questions before she asked the one AJ had been dreading. "When I awoke…I thought I saw Rick. Was he here?"

AJ considered his answer for a moment before responding. "Yes, he was. I don't really know what's going on but he's down in the ER now. He got sick or something. But I don't really know. Apparently Town is Rick's power of attorney and I have been left out of the loop."

Cecile didn't respond to AJ's commentary. Her thoughts were bogged down with the idea that she had destroyed her family. Of course AJ was out of the loop, Rick needed someone he trusted to be in the position to make decisions or help him when he needed. She was grateful Town was there for her son when obviously she wasn't able.

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Dr. Anderson had been very upfront with Rick and Rick appreciated it. He knew he wasn't feeling well and had been attempting to go get Town to let him know. He just hadn't realized how far gone he truly was at that point. Now, headache and all, he felt better. He was ashamed he had caused such a scene in his mother's room but was glad to hear she was doing better.

With the knowledge that his mother was awake, Rick had only one thing on his mind. "When can I get out of here? I would like to go see my mother now that she is awake."

Dr. Anderson knew this was going to be a problem. He really didn't want to release Rick so soon but knew he would have a fight on his hands if he tried to prevent Rick from see his mother. "How about I make you a deal?"

Rick raised his eye brow in a quizzical way. He had never had a doctor try to bargain his release before. Normal protocol seemed to be ordering (which he would ignore), explaining the stupidity being released (which he would ignore) and of course the ever faithful (not really) attempt to sedate him. But never before had he had a doctor that would bargain his release. This should be interesting, Rick thought.

"Go with Detective Brown and get something to eat. Something preferably healthy but high in calories and protein. Your blood sugar was ridiculously low. While we have given you medication to raise it, you need the protein to keep it normal. I talked with Dr. Blaze, it is his recommendation and mine that you start working on regaining some of the weight you have lost. 25 pounds would be good. You've done a great job of dealing with your stress. But now you need to start dealing with your physical needs. I would recommend a workout program as well as regaining the weight."

"I can do that…so can I go now?" It seemed reasonable to Rick, he knew he needed to eat and regain the weight.

"The second condition is that you stay with Detective Brown. You have a concussion. I don't mind you leaving since I know for a time you will be here in the hospital. However, I would like for you to stay with Detective Brown tonight just to be on the safe side." Dr. Anderson turned to Town, "I assume this is okay with you?"

"Not a problem. He was going to be staying with me anyway. Is there anything else my wife and I need to know or do?" Town hadn't bothered to look at Rick, this was going to happen whether he liked it or not.

"No, the both of you probably know what to look for, wake him every few hours to make sure he's oriented and if you notice any dramatic changes be sure to get him back in here as quickly as possible. Rick, I know you feel better. This is in part due to us giving you the medication and giving you fluids. You were dehydrated. You are going to need to keep a really close eye on your fluid intake for the next few days. If you don't have any questions then you are free to go as soon as I get you your discharge papers."

Rick breathed a sigh of relief. The terms or conditions of his release were well within what he knew he should be doing anyway. He was grateful the doctor understood his circumstances and was willing to work with him. Now he just had to face Town and his family. He looked over at Town who hadn't said anything further, until now.

"Rick, before you get started I want you to know that I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you cooperate with the Doc. You need to start taking care of yourself a little better. I know you've been through a lot lately but from what you said and the Doc said it sounds like you got the worse of it taken care of, now we need to work on the rest. How about you stay with me for a little while? Temp is going to visit her mom again. I have the house to myself and you and I can start working out together."

"Sounds good Town. I appreciate it. I don't have anywhere else to stay, so I'm glad you're willing to put up with me. Thanks."

"AJ knows I'm your power of attorney. He was trying to talk to the doc when everything was happening. I didn't want the doc to have the wrong information so I stepped in. I don't think he's too happy about it."

"Town, AJ hasn't been happy since I returned in 1972. He has momentary glimpses of less aggravated. To be honest with you, I don't even care. I can't trust him to make the decisions I want made. Not right now. He still hasn't figured out this wasn't strictly my fault. He needs to grow up and learn that not everything in this world is black and white, there are many shades of grey."


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